China successfully launched Geely-05 satellites using a Smart Dragon-3 rocket from sea near Rizhao, boosting its commercial satellite capabilities.
RIZHAO: China has successfully launched a new set of commercial satellites using its Smart Dragon-3 rocket in a sea-based mission conducted off the coast of Shandong Province. The launch took place on Tuesday morning and was overseen by the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre.
The rocket carried the Geely-05 constellation satellites into planned orbits, marking another milestone in China’s expanding commercial spaceflight efforts. The offshore launch was carried out from a platform near the coastal city of Rizhao, which provides strategic advantages such as safety, flexibility, and lower risk to populated areas.
Smart Dragon-3 is a solid-fuel rocket designed for rapid deployment of commercial satellites, and this mission highlights China’s growing capability to execute complex launch operations from the sea.
China continues to strengthen its presence in the global satellite market with a series of successful space missions aimed at enhancing communication, navigation, and Earth observation networks.
